Keynote-Rajesh Subramanian
19 Feb 2026 15:15h - 15:30h
Keynote-Rajesh Subramanian
Summary
The session featured Rajesh Subramanian, CEO of FedEx, who was introduced to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping global logistics [1-5]. Subramanian described the recent exponential growth of AI as a historic shift comparable to the advent of electricity and the Internet, asserting that AI is no longer a trend but the next industrial system [9-11]. He argued that building AI capabilities is essential infrastructure for future economic growth and that companies, governments, and institutions must become architects of AI rather than passive consumers [12-17].
Reflecting on FedEx’s origins, he noted that founder Frederick W. Smith anticipated a computerized society half a century ago and created a network that pioneered overnight shipping, tracking, and supported high-tech trade and e-commerce [20-28]. Subramanian said the current re-globalization of supply chains, driven by pandemic impacts and trade-policy shifts, places FedEx at the center of a transition where AI acts as a force multiplier for more connected and opportunity-rich commerce [29-36].
He highlighted FedEx’s data-driven scale-operating nearly 700 aircraft, 200,000 vehicles, handling $2 trillion in goods and generating two petabytes of data daily-providing a unique foundation for AI-enabled intelligence [38-44]. Using this data, FedEx is converting real-time network information into predictive insights that can anticipate disruptions, reroute flows, and enhance supply-chain resilience [48-52]. The company is also commercializing AI through digital platforms that embed intelligence into customer workflows, citing the FedEx Import Tool developed in India, which adds predictive logistics, automated tracking, and real-time customs updates for small and medium enterprises [55-63]. Subramanian emphasized that these tools are co-created with customers, turning supplier-vendor relationships into collaborative partnerships that improve international shipping visibility [58-60].
He framed technology as inseparable from business, urging global leaders to embrace AI, take risks, and maintain a bias toward action to avoid extinction in a rapidly changing environment [65-71][75-78]. At the same time, he stressed the responsibility to ensure AI’s benefits are widely accessible and that FedEx is prepared to lead this journey responsibly, with strong data governance and AI literacy [52][84-86]. Concluding, Subramanian expressed confidence that FedEx’s AI-driven strategy will drive economic growth, global progress, and a brighter future for supply-chain stakeholders [87-88].
Keypoints
– AI as essential infrastructure for the future economy – The CEO frames AI as “the next industrial system” and a foundational “infrastructure” that will reshape economies and humanity, emphasizing that building AI capabilities is no longer optional but a responsibility for all organizations. [9-14][16-18]
– FedEx’s data-driven transformation using AI – Leveraging two petabytes of daily data from its massive logistics network, FedEx is applying AI to turn real-time data into predictive, orchestrated, and optimized supply-chain actions, improving resilience by anticipating disruptions before they occur. [38-44][48-52][50-52]
– Customer-focused AI solutions and co-creation – FedEx is extending its AI intelligence through digital platforms such as the FedEx Import Tool, predictive logistics, and real-time customs updates, developed in partnership with small- and medium-size enterprises, turning customers into co-creators of the technology. [54-63]
– Call to action: embrace AI responsibly and boldly – The speaker urges companies, governments, and institutions to become “architects of AI,” take risks, ask “why not,” and ensure AI’s benefits are broadly accessible, positioning the AI revolution as a decisive, collective opportunity. [15-17][68-75][84-86]
Overall purpose/goal
The discussion aims to showcase how FedEx is harnessing AI to revolutionize logistics and supply-chain management, while simultaneously encouraging a wider audience of businesses and policymakers to adopt AI proactively, responsibly, and collaboratively as a catalyst for global economic growth and progress.
Overall tone
The tone is consistently optimistic and visionary, highlighting the transformative potential of AI. It begins with a confident, forward-looking description of AI’s significance, moves into a detailed, data-rich exposition of FedEx’s operational advances, and culminates in an urgent, motivational rally-cry urging listeners to act, take risks, and shape the AI future responsibly. The progression shifts from informative enthusiasm to a more impassioned call-to-action.
Speakers
– Speaker 1 – Role/Title: Moderator / Host (event moderator) – Area of expertise:
– Rajesh Subramanian – Role/Title: CEO, FedEx – Area of expertise: Logistics, Artificial Intelligence in supply chain, global trade (provides practical AI insights)
Additional speakers:
The session opened with Speaker 1 thanking Mr Menj for his insights on technological independence and stating the purpose of the forum. He then introduced Rajesh Subramanian, chief executive officer of FedEx, noting that the company moves roughly fifteen million packages each day [1-5].
Subramanian began by framing artificial intelligence as a historic shift comparable to the advent of electricity and the Internet, describing it as the “next industrial system” that unites compute, energy and labour and will reshape economies and human evolution [9-12]. He positioned AI capability as essential infrastructure rather than an optional add-on [12-14].
He urged every organisation-whether corporate, governmental or institutional-to become “architects of AI” rather than passive consumers, asking how AI can be harnessed to broaden the economy, eradicate disease and improve energy efficiency [15-18]. This framing presents AI development as a collective responsibility and a strategic opportunity [16-18].
Turning to FedEx’s heritage, Subramanian recalled that founder Frederick W. Smith foresaw a computer-driven society half a century ago and built an integrated air-ground network that pioneered overnight shipping, package tracking and the movement of high-tech pharmaceuticals, international trade and e-commerce [20-28]. He described FedEx as the “heartbeat of the industrial economy,” continuously connecting businesses, communities and global commerce [28].
He then described the current “re-globalisation” of supply chains-driven by pandemic impacts and shifting trade policies-as a period of transition in which FedEx sits at the centre [29-33]. In his 35 years with the company, he noted that he has never witnessed change of this magnitude, and that AI now serves as a powerful force-multiplier for shaping more connected, complex and opportunity-rich supply chains [34-36].
Subramanian outlined the scale of FedEx’s operations that underpins this AI agenda: nearly 700 aircraft, about 200 000 motorised vehicles and more than 500 000 team members, handling roughly US$2 trillion in goods and moving over 17 million packages daily across 220 countries and territories [38-40]. This footprint generates around two petabytes of data each day, a volume the firm deliberately organised and engineered well before the current AI wave [41-44].
Using this data, FedEx is converting real-time network information into predictive, orchestrated and optimised supply-chain actions. The AI layer provides visibility of past events and intelligence about future outcomes, enabling the identification of vulnerabilities and pre-emptive mitigation of disruptions-a cornerstone of supply-chain resilience [48-52]. Over the longer term, these capabilities will allow FedEx and its customers to anticipate disruptions, reroute flows, rebalance capacity and prevent local issues from escalating into systemic failures [48-52].
He emphasized that scaling these AI capabilities must be done responsibly. FedEx grounds its deployment in strong data governance, robust cybersecurity and an ongoing focus on AI literacy so that employees can use the tools safely and effectively [52][84-86]. He framed this responsible approach as part of the company’s broader mission to ensure that AI’s benefits are widely accessible and to avoid creating new inequities [84-86].
Subramanian highlighted several motivational statements that illustrate FedEx’s bias toward action: “If you don’t like change, you will hate extinction” [68-70]; “Ask not why, but why not” [71-73]; “We have a bias to action” [74-75]; “The world is becoming more agile by the day and action is critical to keep pace” [76-78]; “We cannot innovate from the sideline” [79-80]; and “There is so much more to discover, including tremendous opportunity in how we apply emerging technologies” [81-83]. He warned that resistance to change could lead to “extinction” and encouraged listeners to adopt a bias toward action, question the status quo and view change as an opportunity rather than a threat [68-75][78-80].
He then described FedEx’s commercialisation of AI intelligence through digital platforms that embed insights directly into customer workflows. By co-creating tools such as the FedEx Import Tool-originally developed in India-the company provides predictive logistics, automated shipment tracking and real-time customs updates, transforming traditional supplier-vendor relationships into partnerships that enhance international shipping visibility and control for small and medium enterprises [55-63][58-64].
Looking ahead, Subramanian admitted that the ultimate shape of AI in logistics over the next fifty years is uncertain, but affirmed that FedEx is prepared to meet that future. He reiterated that the immense transformative potential of AI carries a responsibility to make its benefits widely accessible, and that FedEx will continue to leverage AI to drive economic growth, global progress and a brighter future for all supply-chain stakeholders [83-88][84-86].
In summary, Subramanian emphasized that AI is essential infrastructure for the future economy and that a data-rich organisation like FedEx can lead its responsible adoption. He stressed that AI’s benefits must be widely accessible and that FedEx stands ready to help shape its responsible use. The tone remained optimistic and visionary, moving from a high-level articulation of AI’s societal impact to concrete operational examples, and finally to an urgent rally-cry for proactive, responsible engagement with the technology.
Thank you so much, Mr. Menj for your compelling insights and also for highlighting the importance of technological independence in this digital era. Ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to invite Mr. Rajesh Subramanian, CEO FedEx. At the helm of one of the world’s largest logistics networks, Mr. Rajesh Subramanian is deploying artificial intelligence to optimize supply chains, predict demand and make global trade more efficient. His vantage point, moving 15 million packages a day, offers a uniquely grounded view of how AI performs in the real world. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome CEO of FedEx, Mr. Rajesh Subramanian.
Thank you very much for the kind introduction and for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion. Gatherings like this are critical to advancing technology and making global progress collaboratively, responsibly, and equitably. And that’s truly our charge at this pivotal moment. The recent exponential growth of AI has the potential to be one of the most significant events in human society since the advancement of electric power systems and the introduction of the Internet. AI is no longer a trend. It’s the next industrial system, a union of compute, the energy, and labor that will redefine how economies operate and how humanity evolves. We understand the science, and now it’s about rapid amplification and application. Building AI capabilities is not optional, it’s essential.
Intelligence is not an asset, it’s infrastructure, the foundation of the future of global progress, productivity, and economic growth. As such, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to be more than consumers. We must be architects of AI. Every company, government, and institution should ask, how can we use AI to expand our ability to solve our most pressing problems, from broadening the economy to eradicating disease to improving energy efficiency? One of the most exciting aspects of AI is the potential to turbocharge problem -solving at scale. And that’s always been… the guiding principle at FedEx. to solve problems by connecting people and possibilities. Our journey began at another technological inflection point. Half a century ago, our founder, Frederick W.
Smith, realized that we are moving towards a computerized, automated society. He saw the world changing, and he seized the opportunity. He created an industry for the computer age, a novel way to move critical goods reliably and at scale. The integrated air and ground network would become pillar of the modern economy. And flight by flight, route by route, hub by hub, we built a network that connected the world, shaping business, communities, and global commerce. Along with pioneering overnight shipping, we invented tracking. We also fueled a massive growth of high -tech, advanced pharmaceuticals, international trade, and e -commerce. We are indeed the heartbeat of the industrial economy. Now, the world is undergoing a fundamental shift. The patterns and the rules of commerce are changing.
Impacts from the pandemic and shifts in trade policy are driving towards a new period of re -globalization. Global supply chains are moving from one equilibrium state to another. And FedEx is right in the middle of this transition. In my 35 years at FedEx and monitoring global trade, I’ve never seen change in this space and scale. We’ve also never had a powerful technological force for effecting change. AI is a force multiplier for shaping modern supply chains in a more connected, complex, and opportunity -rich world. We’ve always been a data -driven company. We have nearly 700 airplanes. We’ve always been a data -driven company. 200 ,000 motorized vehicles and more than 500 ,000 team members. We handle $2 trillion in goods annually, move more than 17 million packages daily across 220 countries and territories, and generate two petabytes of data every day.
We realized the value of our data, our insights, and supply chain intelligence early. And we set about organizing and engineering our data ahead of the current AI revolution. And when you power the industrial economy and generate over two petabytes of data, the potential to harness that intelligence with AI to create smarter, more resilient supply chains is immense. And it is a capability only a few organizations on this planet can make. And for the past 50 years, FedEx built the world’s most reliable network for moving physical goods. Over the next 50 years, our differentiation will come from orchestrating the intelligence that governs modern commerce. That is our future. And to get there, we’re using AI to transform our real -time network data into actionable insights that enable prediction, orchestration, and optimization across the entire supply chain.
This is not just visibility into what happened, but intelligence about what will happen next. Identifying vulnerabilities and addressing them before they become disruptions is probably the most crucial element of supply chain resilience. Over the long term, we will power solutions allowing FedEx and our customers to anticipate disruptions. to reroute flows, rebalance capacity, and prevent localized issues from becoming systemic failures. More importantly, we are scaling these capabilities responsibly and grounding them in strong data governance, cybersecurity, and ongoing focus on AI literacy so our teams know how to use these tools effectively. Now, this opportunity is not just operational. It’s also commercial. We are extending our intelligence through digital tools that solve problems for customers and enable them to optimize their operations.
Through collaborations and platform integrations, we can embed our intelligence directly into customer workflows, helping businesses make sourcing, routing, inventory, and fulfillment decisions with near real -time supply chain insights. We create common data platforms with our customers to build the best supply chain solutions together. This goes far beyond a supplier -vendor relationship. Our customers are often co -creators, and many of our digital tools are shaped by the feedback for small and medium businesses seeking to grow internationally. Just one example is our clearance solution has become increasingly important to our customers with ongoing shifts in trade requirements. FedEx Import Tool was first developed in India to simplify international shipping for small and medium enterprises. Their feedback helped us design features such as predictive logistics, automated shipment tracking and real -time customs updates, all powered by AI.
And this is now rolling out globally. What used to be a complex process became much simpler, giving small businesses better visibility and control over their shipments. Our AI -powered capabilities go far beyond traditional logistics, positioning FedEx as the digital backbone of supply, demand and decision networks across industries. Today, technology is business, and business is technology. As global citizens and leaders, we must think this way. We must use the AI revolution to propel global progress. From our experiences at FedEx, I encourage you all to get in the game. You cannot innovate from the sideline. If you don’t like change, you will hate extinction. Cease this opportunity with AI. Our actions must be decisive because the opportunity is genuinely transformative.
Ask not why, but why not. Question all ways of thinking. Take risks and embrace change as an opportunity for exploration and growth. And keep asking questions. Nothing will matter more in the age of AI, as AI increasingly contains more of the world’s knowledge. It does not matter what the world thinks. It becomes an even more powerful tool for anyone with questions. have a bias to action. The world is becoming more agile by the day and action is critical to keep pace. There’s also so much more to discover, including tremendous opportunity in how we apply emerging technologies. We have barely scratched the surface on how we use AI and machine learning to manage global supply chains.
For a company with legacy of delivering what’s next, I cannot tell you what the end state of AI will look like, but I can tell you that we will be ready for it. The transformative potential of AI is immense, and with that potential comes the responsibility to ensure that its benefits are widely accessible. How this latest generation of AI comes to life and how it impacts every aspect of our civilization is up to us. To us. FedEx is ready for this journey. We’re embracing AI and eager to solve problems, drive economic growth and global progress, and deliver a better and a brighter future. Thank you for your attention.
“Speaker 1 introduced Rajesh Subramanian as chief executive officer of FedEx”
The transcript notes thank-you to Mr. Menschj and the invitation of Mr. Rajesh Subramanian, identified as CEO of FedEx, which is confirmed by the knowledge base entry that lists him as the chief executive officer [S51] and by the keynote description that references his role at FedEx [S1].
“FedEx moves roughly fifteen million packages each day”
The knowledge base states that FedEx handles about US$2 trillion in goods and is a data-driven organization, but it does not provide a specific daily package volume, so the 15 million figure is not directly corroborated [S1].
“Founder Frederick W. Smith foresaw a computer‑driven society half a century ago and built an integrated air‑ground network that pioneered overnight shipping and package tracking”
FedEx’s history is described as being founded during a previous technological inflection point fifty years ago and as having pioneered overnight shipping and package tracking, confirming the founder’s forward-looking vision [S1].
“FedEx operates nearly 700 aircraft, about 200 000 motorised vehicles, more than 500 000 team members, handling roughly US$2 trillion in goods and moving over 17 million packages daily across 220 countries and territories”
The knowledge base confirms the $2 trillion goods figure and FedEx’s data-driven scale, but it does not list the exact numbers of aircraft, vehicles, employees, daily packages, or country coverage, so those details remain unverified [S1].
The discussion shows a clear convergence on the need for proactive, responsible, and independent engagement with AI and digital technologies. Both speakers advocate that stakeholders should move beyond passive consumption to actively shape and govern emerging technologies.
High consensus on the principle of self‑reliant, architect‑driven development of AI, suggesting strong alignment for policy and industry initiatives that promote autonomous capability building and collaborative governance.
The discussion shows strong alignment on the transformative role of AI, but a subtle tension between calls for technological independence and a push for collaborative, shared AI solutions.
Low to moderate disagreement; the differing emphasis may affect policy choices about sovereign AI capabilities versus open ecosystem partnerships, influencing how stakeholders prioritize investment and regulation.
The discussion pivots around a series of strategically placed insights from Rajesh Subramanian. Early statements that framed AI as the next industrial infrastructure set a grand, transformative stage. Subsequent remarks introduced responsibility—data governance, cybersecurity, and AI literacy—shifting the tone from unbridled optimism to a balanced, pragmatic outlook. Provocative calls to action (‘If you don’t like change, you will hate extinction’ and ‘Ask not why, but why not’) acted as turning points, converting the monologue into a rallying cry for proactive, risk‑embracing innovation. Together, these comments guided the audience from a high‑level appreciation of AI’s potential, through the practicalities of implementation, to a compelling imperative to shape AI’s future, thereby shaping the entire flow and emphasis of the discussion.
Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.
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